DECEMBER 9: Several NFL executives predict Carroll will wind up being a one-and-done Raiders coach, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes. If that holds true, it will be interesting to see if another NFL gig winds up presenting itself during the 2026 hiring cycle.
DECEMBER 8: After finishing a dismal 4-13 last season, the Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco. Their replacements, Pete Carroll and John Spytek, are on pace to produce similarly poor results in 2025. At 2-11, the Raiders are tied with the Giants and Titans for the NFL’s worst record with four games remaining.
Although Carroll joined the Raiders with plenty of past success under his belt, he’s already on the hot seat. Carroll has fired two key assistants – offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, then the league’s highest-paid OC, and special teams coach Tom McMahon – in what has been a nightmarish season. With the Raiders having lost seven in a row, Carroll’s reshuffling of the coaching staff hasn’t worked.
Despite the Raiders’ struggles, Carroll hasn’t lost any desire to continue coaching, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Already the oldest head coach in league history, Caroll will roam the sidelines at the age of 75 if he returns in 2026. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders move on from Carroll after this season, Jones says.
While Carroll’s Raiders tenure may go down as a one-and-done stint, the same isn’t true for Spytek. The 45-year-old “will continue to be considered safe,” Jones reports. That isn’t a surprise when considering Spytek’s ties to Raiders part-owner Tom Brady, who wields heavy influence over the franchise’s decisions.
Spytek and Brady were college teammates at the University of Michigan. Their paths crossed again when Spytek was a bigwig in the Buccaneers’ front office and Brady was their quarterback from 2020-22.
A few days after hiring Spytek, the Raiders brought in Carroll, who initially had reservations about the job. Carroll said Brady’s presence “shifted my thought about what this opportunity was about.” Expectations were that the Mark Davis-owned Raiders would afford the former Super Bowl winner a longer leash than they gave Pierce and Josh McDaniels, their most recent full-time head coaches. Pierce lasted 26 games (seven in an interim role), while McDaniels was in charge for 25. Carroll may not make it that far.
If the Raiders fire Carroll, they could wind up in the unenviable position of searching for a new head coach and a different starting quarterback for the second straight offseason. The modest success Carroll and former Seahawks starter Geno Smith had together in Seattle has not transferred to Las Vegas. Hoping he would provide a short-term answer under center, the Raiders traded a third-round pick for Smith last April and immediately gave him a two-year, $75MM extension. The move has backfired, though, with the 35-year-old performing like one of the league’s worst QBs this season. If Carroll isn’t safe, Smith might not be either.
IMO, Raiders biggest mistake this season was to trade for Geno Oh-no Smith. This guy simply cannot scramble and even a light breeze can make him eat grass.
Hiring Pete in the first place seemed a little desperate. He’s been out of touch since 2018
Of course your new QB hasn’t had success. Look at the OL ! They gave up 10 sacks to the Browns. Spend some resources on the OL…definitely need a younger HC…geez
To be fair, he holds onto the ball waaaaay too long. Sure the OL sucks but they cannot be held 100% accountable. No WR’s and terrible play calling doesn’t help much.
It’s easier to get rid of the ball quickly when you have receivers who can get open quickly.
At the very least he should Derek Carr it and throw it out of bounds after 2 seconds…every time. Carr was a wimp but at least he was smart enough to not get sacked that much.
Well, Carroll nepotistically (word?) hiring his two sons and inserting themselves into the offense probably ruined whatever chance that Kelly even had to develop a scheme in the first place, even with that ugly roster (one that traded away their only receiver of high value).
To be fair, though, we all expected this to be lost ground for the Raiders anyway. They’ll have to evaluate whether they think that they can start building next year, or whether they want to effectively reset again in 2026 and spend another season evaluating and building a roster according to a different plan and scheme.
He can chew gum like a 25 year-old though.
Perhaps when he’s more mature he can graduate to Redman chaw 🙂
So long as he has his dentures in.
This isn’t fully a HC issue.
It’s crappy drafting as usual for a decade plus.
Absolute morons for drafting luxury RB and TE over O line. Complete and utter failure year after year. This is why the qb looks so bad compared to his Seattle stats.
Sorry but need to sell the team to turn competent.
I think drafting Bowers was fine. He’d fallen in the draft and he’s sort of a number one receiver as much as he’s a tight end. Drafting Jeanty when they had a shaky line and Membou was right there was silly drafting.
Only now are the true Raider fans realizing this latest car-crash season is the work of the money-grabbing, double-dealing, bonesaw buddy Tom Brady.
Being a Cagarger fan, I hope they keep Pete around for a long, long time and Gino.
Charger
The Cagargers weren’t looking a whole lot better last night. Eagles giftwrapped that game, Merry Xmas.
The Cagargers were beating the SB champs on the way to their 9th victory of the season. The 2 win, lost 7 in a row Raiders and LAC are looking a lot different hound.
Herbert getting sacked 20 times looked very Raider-ish.
Offensive Line!
Offensive Line!
Offensive Line!
HC is the least of the Raiders’ problem
I wouldn’t say it’s the LEAST (Tight End for that one), but it’s not the one that I look at first when I’m figuring out how to make the team better immediately. Carroll I don’t think offers much, but that roster really needs help (and the O-Line is first thing that needs to be better to build that foundation).
lol who do you think assembled this team? They took a look at last years AWFUL oline and said “hey let’s add Cappa and we good”. This is all on him lmao. Oh yeah and let’s draft 2 lineman in the third round and won’t even put them into a game till December.
Oh and get back to me when you find out who the oline coach is
I don’t disagree, if that’s at me. I even mentioned the other Carroll’s as a reason that Pete hasn’t done well…
@ak185 naw not you.
My mistake, thanks.
Might as well lose them all to secure better draft position. Raiders need talent all over that depth chart
Sorry to say the Raiders must rid themselves of Pete Carroll. It was a safe gamble with him and Geno until it isn’t. Too bad the move wasn’t made sooner and it should’ve included his sons. They’re the bigger issues than the coordinators Pete canceled !!
I would have bet good money that at least one comment would have recommended the Raiders bring back Gruden…lol.